Astrom Absconditus
by naedie
Summary: The world has changed, it barely works now. It is run by the perfect and fed by the refugees. Life is hard, but there is hope, get into the 'space' program and you will live a happy life. it is all we dream of, here is the districts and I, Bella/551 have made it.
1. Chapter 1

**Abstrom Absconditus**

_secret star or hidden constellation, obscure, disguised. _

I can't keep the smile off my face. I have never seen so much, clean, so much white and bright lights, That don't flicker or go out every night at 8. I can sleep in and eat three times a day. We are all like this. All smiling. Even though we know the reason we are here is the worst we could have asked for, we can't think of that. We don't dwell. We never have thought of anything.

My father always told me, when I came to him with my stories of flying off, being one the fairies I would conjure up in my our back garden. "Bella, thinking, It will get you killed, It will kill your soul. live in what you see, and you will be as happy as you can be"

So I live. In exactly what I see. I am happy.

I have loved the days here, loved them so much I have lost count. I am fatter and my hair is shiny. I feel like new, like the life I lived before is gone, and my new life is just beginning. I dream every night, happy dreams, of my new home. I have heard stories, that there is no dirt, just white snow, that there is food and water, and they don't fight like we do, there is no sickness they can't fix.

They are the best. I can't believe I am going there. The lady, 764 told me I could learn, I could be a nurse, or a teacher, or maybe just be a pretty wife and have babies. I think secretly, because I would never tell anyone, that maybe I would find a handsome man and live in the snow in a nice house and have babies.

Or be a nurse. That's probably better for me. I am not very pretty. I have never seen myself except in a blurry window, but mike once told me, out of Jess and Lauren I was the not very pretty one.

I am glad I don't have to see him anymore. I don't miss him.

"551, 552, 553, 554" I jump from my bunk when they call my number from the speaker. They aren't very creative with the numbers here. I have noticed that. I have been dressed since I woke, we missed breakfast this morning and we only had a light dinner. I am starving. It's only been maybe a week and already I am used to being fed like a queen.

I straighten my already straight bed and leave the tiny room. There are others, all girls filing the same way as me. None of us say anything, but we are all smiling. Happiness is so close I feel I can already feel it, the tingling in my fingers and the hairs on my neck feel as though they are quivering. I shiver and can't help the giggle that escapes.

I go to turn the usual way to go to the dining room but there is a man there, all dressed in white and he shoves me and few other girls toward a door which was always closed and locked, but now I can see a brightly lit hall filled with girls walking quickly. I don't know most of them, I am from the smallest district, only a few of us came and the others were all boys. Here the girls are all holding hands and whispering, as though they know each other and I feel the odd one out.

I drop behind and keep my walk slower, I have never been very good at talking to others and being listened to. I am happy how I am, I look at the laces on my shoes. We had wax sticks that we could write and draw with the other day. I have never seen colored ones, and I decided I liked them, a lot. So I drew every color on my laces. They are the prettiest things I have ever owned. I can't help but admire them all the time.

I notice that we are approaching a wide room, girls are already starting to file in and stand around. I walk through the door, and look around. It's really bright and I see now that its not empty. There are what look like glass boxes with little screens on one side and filled with a white gel, the same that we sleep on, tubes on one inside end.

There is a thud and we all look back to see the door we just came through has been shut. For just a moment, I feel insecure, trapped. The air leaves my lungs in quick breaths and on instinct I look around for another escape, a way out.

Just for a moment.

In a second, there are four men, in white suits standing in front of us, One has a pad and is quickly swiping through a list of numbers. The other three, wait with their hands clasped in front of them, they are big and very tall. Taller than I have ever seen anyone. It takes me a moment to see it, though against the pale skin they stand out, in stark comparison.

Red eyes. I can hear the gasp and whispers travel through the group of girls. The men smirk, like they are in on a joke. The feeling of unease courses through my veins once again. But I try my best to shrug it off. We wait another 30 seconds or so before the man with the pad steps forward.

"Girls, welcome aboard the largest ship in space and therefore might I also say, the best" He smiles and I immediately relax and smile with him. "Your captain is Edward Mason and on his behalf, we wish you a pleasant trip aboard the Observer. Now to get started, we need you to be in these pods here behind me, don't worry you won't be in there for long, just until we reach zero gravity. It is safer and much more comfortable this way and we reduce any accidence during the rough turbulence as we leave earths gravity."

His friendly demeanor and smile, relaxes all of us and as he turns and begins to ready the pods along with the other men who are now smiling and beckoning us forward. Without hesitance and huge smiles on our faces. We all climb in.

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_how do you like it?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

_"The Observer arrived at 001001 at 21:45 day 5 of week 5876._ _two days ahead of schedule. Cargo, 33 females. 7 males. _

I barely need to open my eyes as I fill in the ships log. Sliding the pad back into the ISS, I wait the few seconds for it to log. A few seconds now drags, everything drags.

I walk through the ship to the cargo bay, slowly with my fingers clasped behind my back, like an old man I imagine would walk through a park, observing. I can hear the racing hearts of the cargo, only now is their instincts starting to whisper in their subconscious, trying to warn them. But they ignore it , like sheep to the slaughter they follow, walk with a skip in their step, smiles on their faces.

I nod at the guards, I wait at the edge of the dock, letting the cargo see their captain, I always smile, I like to watch them smile back, their eyes though, still confused.

I sometimes envy them. How they despite everything, can still smile. I think it amazing, that they can ignore reason, they seem to shut it out.

I unfortunately know.

I can hear the footsteps and inhale the lush scent of their clean blood, They start to file past and they don't disappoint, they answer my smile with small waves and giddy faces.

I keep smiling, its a pretty unconvincing smile, it doesn't take much to see that, but these humans especially the girls are blind to it, their breathing hitches and they stumble or freeze just for a second, before they react and smile back.

One is slower than the others, she glances around, her eyes more wild, more alert. I zero in on her heartbeat, it's racing. Even she knows it, she places her right hand over her thundering chest and takes deeper breaths, trying to calm herself. She see's me, and I make sure to smile and it seems to come easy, it reaches my eyes and my mouth turns crooked.

She notices, her mouth dropping slightly and her hitched breathing give her away. But she just turns her head to face down and keeps walking, her fear soaking her blood, forming the most alluring aroma.

I breathe her in and my mouth waters for the first time in an age. I turn and make my way to report to council.

But my mind stays behind me, listening to the footfalls of the scared girl in the back.

I take my seat in the huge Colosseum unnoticed. It is rowdy, many are here to buy and are anxious to get started. The center stage is still empty, leaving the buyers fighting for the best seats. The atmosphere is extremely unpleasant and I grip the edge of my stone seat to keep from leaving before Aro can notice me.

I wait. counting in my head through the ruckus. 30, 45, 60, 120, 300 seconds later, Aro and his entourage arrives at center stage, taking their seats as the noise stops and wherever they are the earlier fighters, take their seats without question.

Noone dares be noticed beyond what they need due.

Aro's eyes search the room and he finds me, sitting off to one side, but not to far as to offend him, he nods to me and I stand. "Aro." My voice is calm and strong and I nod at his direction. I remain standing at his call till he motions for me to sit, I know we will talk later.

Without wasting time he beckons for the wide doors to be opened and the refugees are let in. They walk, no smiles this time, their fear to much for them now to shy away from, finally they start to realize, this is wrong.

Aro is all smiles as he greets them, "Oh my, Captain did never tell me that the cargo were such lovely creatures" He walks over to them and smiles wider, bowing low in front of the girls. They smile but remain afraid and confused, their eyes wildly scanning the room, looking for a way of escape.

I find myself looking for her, looking for the girl. after a few seconds I release the breath I had been holding, my eyes find her. She has positioned herself in the middle of the group, her eyes wild and I can see the glistening of tears almost overflowing. I again singled out her heartbeat and it was hammering unbelievably so, her lungs were heaving though she seemed to be straining for air, her breaths were quickening.

She knew before the rest did, I can see her state of fear is well ahead of the others, her self protection evident in where she stands and how she tries to stay unnoticed. It won't help her. But it may ease the rest of her life. I find myself hoping that it works.


End file.
